South Africa: Youth Taking the Lead in Social Cohesion and Educational Support13 July 2016

(From Left to Right) Ahmad Cadnaan Omar, an Industrial Engineering student at Vaal University of Technology with Sibongile Nkosi, an intern at the JRS South Africa, Country Office and Social Work student at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and Saheed, an Information Technology student at Central Johannesburg College, at the Radio Veritas studio speaking about the Somali Student Association's academic assistance. (Xolani Mdlalose/Jesuit Refugee Service)

What makes this initiative especially impressive is the fact that it has been initiated by young people, who have a desire to improve their circumstances through their own efforts. Added to this, the initiative also enhances social cohesion.

Johannesburg, 13 July 2016 – What very few know about
Afrikaans, is that it is the world’s youngest language, is almost exclusively
spoken in South Africa, with approximately 13 million speakers of the language.
It has little significant global impact, yet holds noticeable cultural sway in
South Africa. Many schools in urban South Africa still teach the language as
either a first or second language option and because of its unique nature -
with its origins in Dutch - it proves especially difficult to negotiate the
language.

Most refugees and asylum seekers that find themselves in South
Africa, with their children in public schools, have to deal with the immense
challenges of their children being forced to learn a language they share no
familiarity with. However, in Jesuit Refugee Service’s (JRS) experience, language
is one effective way to cross cultural and nationality differences, differences
that could be negatively manifested in acts of xenophobia. Learning a unique
local language assists in creating social cohesion amongst refugees, asylum
seekers and local hosting communities. Communication between locals, refugees
and asylum seekers is made easier as a common language is found for all
nationalities to speak as well as an integration into the host community and
nation.

A group of Somali tertiary students, understanding the
difficulties they faced while completing their primary and secondary education
in South Africa, realised that an intervention was needed to assist school
learners to cope at school. The Somali Student Association then began to organise
tutoring for Somali school learners in various subjects. The tutors are either
students at tertiary institutions or members of the broader community, with the
necessary expertise, who volunteer their time in providing additional support in
improving the academic performances of Somali learners.

Ahmad Cadnaan Omar, an Industrial Engineering student at
Vaal University of Technology, along with Saheed, an Information Technology student
at Central Johannesburg College, spoke about the academic challenges faced by
Somali school learners on the JRS, half an hour radio slot on Radio Veritas, on
Monday 4th July 2016. The two provided great insight into how Afrikaans
and Mathematics are major obstacles in the academic success of many Somali
school learners.

Being passionate about education and the opportunities that
it provides, Saheed, Ahmad and the members of the Somali Student Association
banded together to provide additional academic support to Somali school
learners and address latent attitudes toward education as well. Ahmad and
Saheed are forthcoming and admit that education to many Somali youth is
obligatory and therefore only go to school because South African law demands
it. For many of these youth, education is not a path to a career or a
profession however they instead opt to become business people in yet untapped
markets in South Africa.

Sibongile Nkosi, an intern at the JRS South Africa, Country Office
and Social Work student at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,
after hearing many laments from refugee and asylum seeker parents about their
children’s difficulties at school, decided to pool resources with the Somali
Student Association to find tutors and increase the academic capacity for the
help the group provides. Now working with the assistance of JRS, this
initiative by these young people is growing and having a significant, positive
impact.

What makes this initiative especially impressive is the fact
that it has been initiated by young people, who have a desire to improve their circumstances
through their own efforts. Added to this, the initiative also enhances social
cohesion, as it allows refugee and asylum seeking youth to be part of their
hosting communities. The podcast of this inspirational conversation follows
below: